The Clockwork Knights
by Fatherfail
Summary: Two brothers stand trial in Grandum for murder. They are PKers for sure, and their crime brings them into an adventure they didn't ask for. Joining the Asuna and Kirito on the front lines, the two brothers strive to become top players in order to escape the nightmare of SAO. They are The Clockwork Knights. AU and OC. Based on Sword Art Online
1. Sword Art Online

**This is just a side project I have been thinking about. It's a story about Sword Art Online, an anime where players are trapped in a virtual reality video game. If you die in the game, you die in real life. I am going to change some stuff about SAO itself. Consider it…AU or something. **

**Changes I made: Ranged weapons do exist, but weapons like crossbows are **_**extremely **_**rare. Your cursor goes to orange if you hurt another player/steal/other petty crime, but it will go to red if you kill. However, this red cursor only lasts for a few days, but will become permanent when you kill more than two people in the same day. **

**Anyways, let's get the story started. **

…

**[That concludes the tutorial for Sword Art Online]**

Everyone started freaking out. I started freaking out. My brother started freaking out. The entire stadium was filled with the shouts of ten thousand people as they tried to find out if what just happened was real. We were trapped in a death game. If we died in the game, we died in the real world. I don't know what was going through my mind, but I ran with my brother. We ran right out of the square, leaving everyone else behind. We saw other people do it, so we thought it was a good idea.

My brother and I ran out into the countryside where there was nobody to disturb us. I collapsed down onto the virtual grass and I heaved even though I wasn't even tired. I was staring up at the sky that only a few minutes earlier filled me with awe, but now filled me with dread. I let out a frustrated scream as my brother sat in silence, observing his reflection in the item we had received at the announcement. Our character appearances had been replaced with our true appearances, and I guess my brother was interested in how it had happened.

But I didn't care. I was too busy being a coward. I was scared to die in a virtual world I had little to no knowledge of. I was shivering with fear when my brother handed me the mirror, my reflection gazing back at me. Sure enough, I looked like myself. Dark brown hair and brown alert eyes stared back at me. I looked over at my brother who was looking through his inventory. He also looked like himself. He had the same brown hair, but his eyes were tired. He was wearing the basic starter clothes we had chosen at the beginning: cargo shorts and a white t-shirt. He noticed me looking at him and he smiled at me.

"Come on, Daniel, use that reasoning you are so fond of!" laughed my brother as he turned back to his inventory.

I sighed as I nodded my head and looked around. I didn't see anybody besides a few idle boars. The grassy hills blocked my vision besides a dirt road that no doubt led to another town on the first floor. Overall, it was quiet. I turned to my brother, my thoughts settling and my fears dying.

"He was lying, wasn't he, Scott? He was lying about dying in the real world, right? It wouldn't make much sense to be honest. What proof did he have? A news story is pretty easy to fake, especially if you're a master of electronics like Kayaba." I told my brother determinedly as he nodded his head slowly.

"There's the brother I know. Check your inventory. Looks like they provided us with some goodies." said my brother as a weapon appeared in his hand.

The weapon my brother had been given was an axe, a two handed weapon. It was made of steel and had a single axe head. My brother observed its stats and swung it around a bit. He smashed it into the ground and it landed with a solid thump. I decided to check what weapon I had received, so I opened my inventory, going to where the weapons were. I opened it, and clicked on the only item there.

A sword landed my hand, solid, but horribly rusted. The entire blade was covered in brownish-black rust. I looked at the sword with a raised eyebrow. The weapon was called Bastard Sword. However, it was a rather long blade, and of good weight. My brother tried to hold in his laughter as he looked at my sword.

"Looks like you got the worst weapon in the game!" laughed my brother hysterically as I waved him off.

"Come on, let's go hunt some boars. I want to be at least level 10 by nightfall."

And that's how we started playing Sword Art Online. Little did we know the risks of playing a death game without any prior knowledge.

…


	2. PKers

**I had free time so I decided to write. Also, I'm switching the POV from 1****st**** to third person. **

**Some more changes: Sword skills are still present, but some players like to combine regular attacks and sword skills. The rate at which the front-liners clear floors is a little bit faster, and yes, canon characters will be included. **

…

"Get the hell back!"

The attack had been sudden, surprising both Scott and Daniel. The attackers were fleeing into the forest now, but the darkening sky was filled with thousands of blue pixels, floating up into the sky, signaling a player's death. The shots of the scattered attacks echoed through the forest, and Scott heaved as he looked at Daniel, watching his brother's icon turn dark read. They were red players now. PKers.

"…This isn't permanent…right?"

…

**Several hours before…**

Several months passed in SAO. Daniel and Scott followed in the footsteps of the lead group, stopping on the floor they had just recently cleared: 56. The average player level was increasing with every floor cleared, and Daniel and Scott were keeping up in terms of level. They had trained all day, but as time passed, Scott became more and more obsessed with blacksmithing. Recently, increasing his blacksmithing was all he did.

This worried Daniel. Scott hadn't changed in personality in the recent months, but his dropping level of activity on the front lines worried Daniel because of their level gap. Daniel was five levels ahead of Scott, and if Scott didn't participate on the frontlines that gap was sure to grow. So, Daniel decided to get his brother back into action.

…

"How about we hunt today? It's been a while since we last hunted down some mobs."

Scott looked up from his anvil and scratched his head, looking up at Daniel. The brown haired blacksmith carried a hammer in his right hand and an ingot of metal in another. On the heavy anvil rested a knife with fancy engravings. Scott grabbed the knife and looked at it in the sunlight of –the newly opened- Floor 56, Pani. He grunted as he turned to look at Daniel who looked anxious to go hunting with his brother.

"Draw your sword, Daniel." chuckled Scott as Daniel drew the rusted sword from his holster.

"You still haven't answered my question." said Daniel firmly as Scott looked his brother over, mumbling to himself.

"Rest easy, brother. I'm just looking over your armor. I'll make changes later, but I'll answer your question right now. Lay your sword flat." Daniel did as he was told and Scott grinned and shook with excitement as he held up the knife he had just made. "If this knife doesn't break against your sword I will go hunting with you."

With that, Scott raised the blade up in the air and slammed it downwards, the blade sliding cleanly off of the rusted blade of Daniel's sword. The two brothers let out shouts of excitement for different reasons. The knife disappeared into Scott's inventory and he nodded at Daniel as he selected his armor, the scorched smock disappearing, replaced with shiny new armor. Scott grinned as he grabbed his axe and pointed the heavy blade at Daniel.

"Let's see who can level up the most during this little hunt!" challenged Scott as Daniel scoffed as he twisted his rusted sword around.

"Are you sure about that? Your armor might look nice, but I bet my rusted armor is better than that tin can your in." laughed Daniel as the two headed towards the hunting grounds on Pani, Daniel's favorite hunting area.

…

The axe cut straight through the Iron Wolf, the mob exploding into a cloud of blue pixels. Scott smiled as he watched his brother cut through a few Iron Wolves in quick succession. Scott noted that Daniel seemed to be completely focused on fighting the enemies. His motions were fluid, and his face was focused. Suddenly something tackled Scott to the ground. He saw the steel trap jaws of an Iron Wolf bite into his armor, and Scott growled in anger as his HP sank a little bit. Punching the Iron Wolf had little effect and it only lower his HP more.

"Daniel! Daniel!"

The Iron Wolf disappeared, his brother barely visible in the cloud of pixels. Scott let out a breath of relief as he stood up, a scared expression on his face. Daniel just chuckled a little bit and looked around the forest. The Iron Wolves had been completely wiped out. He turned back to his brother who looked a little shaken.

"Are you alright?"

Scott scowled and looked at his armor, checking to see if it was damaged.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. I was just caught off guard…" replied Scott as Daniel shook his head.

"You need to be more alert when hunting around here. Iron Wolves won't let go once they bite. Try to stay more alert." said Daniel as he looked to find more mobs to fight.

Scott looked irritated as Daniel led the way through the forest towards what appeared to be a huge stone cave carved into the rock wall that had suddenly appeared in front of them. It had been way too fast for Scott. Daniel knew the way, but to Scott it looked like they had just gone from a forest to an entirely different biome. The blacksmith shook his head and looked at his brother who had an eyebrow raised at the cave.

"Well, this is interesting…" murmured Daniel as he went to the entrance to the cave, peering inside.

"What, is it something you haven't seen before?" asked Scott as Daniel continued to look around the cave, trying to peer through the darkness.

"Yeah, it's just that I've never seen the cave before. Probably not a big de-"

The huge fist smashed straight into my brother's body, sending him crashing into a tree, the impact sending his HP to yellow. Instantly, I was on my feet. I dodged to my right as the giant's fist smashed straight down on the spot where he had been standing. As Scott stood up, the giant came out of the cave, holding a huge steel axe, a strange wooden object strapped to his back. Scott's eyes widened when he realized what it was.

"Crossbow?"

The giant let out an angry roar as my brother charged straight towards it. His sword cut into the giant's grimy skin, and his health had already regenerated into the green zone. He dodged under the giant's clumsy attacks with the huge axe, and continued to inflict damage. The giant's name was Polyphemus the Sheepbane, and he had four health bars. His brother was chipping away at it, and he shouted at Scott as he fought the giant.

"Scott, don't just stand there! Do something!" he shouted as the giant let out an angry roar as the huge axe blade slammed into my brother, sending his health dangerously close to the red zone.

"What the hell am I supposed to do against a giant?!" Scott screamed as he charged forward with the axe, the blade glowing red.

Scott had mastered the sword skills with his axe, taking down parts of his health as he hacked away at Polyphemus, but the giant kept coming. The huge axe smashed straight into Scott, and the blacksmith flew backwards, smashing into Daniel as he tried to recover from the last blow he had received. The two brothers were on the ground, looking up towards the giant as it raised its huge axe above its head, growling angrily.

"Fuckin' hell."

…

They could have teleported away, but they didn't have a crystal. They could have run away, but their honor wouldn't let them. They stood and fought. They barely won. Scott struck the final blow, his axe slamming straight into the giant's eye, the field boss's weak spot. The amount of Exp gained was huge, and Scott was now level 78, just three levels behind Daniel at 81. However, that was not what interested them. It was the boss drop that captured their attention. Normally, boss drops were weapons, armor, or items, but this boss had dropped a strange kind of weapon. Up until this point, no true ranged weapon had been found, until now. The boss had dropped an item called "Crossbow". And sure enough, it was a medieval crossbow. Both of the brothers looked surprised, but Daniel reached out and tried to equip it. Oddly enough, he couldn't.

"…We almost lost our lives for an item that we can't even equip." Daniel muttered bitterly as he turned away.

Scott ignored his brother and decided to give the ranged weapon a try. The thought of almost losing his life scared him, but curiosity got the better of him.

[Crossbow: equip? (Y) (N)]

With a single press of the button, Scott held the crossbow in his hand. It was sort of heavy, but it was nothing compared to his axe. The blacksmith smiled as he looked it over, admiring the weapon and noticing that it had an arrow loaded.

"Daniel, it wasn't a waste. I can equip it." said Scott as Daniel looked over his shoulder to see his brother holding the crossbow.

The two brothers were looking at the crossbow when three figures came from the forest, staring at them, scowls on their face. Scott noticed them first. The three were armed with swords, one of them wearing a nice set of armor, and the other two wore black cloaks. The other two didn't look too tough, but Daniel noticed they all had orange indicators. Orange players. The orange player wearing armor spoke first. His face was covered by a steel helmet so the brothers couldn't see his full face.

"We were planning on taking down the boss tonight, but I guess you found him first. I'll be taking that rare weapon drop if you don't mind." laughed the orange player as the other two grunts chuckled and sneered.

Daniel was about to challenge the orange players when surprisingly, Scott made the first move. He pointed the crossbow in the direction of the armored bandit and scoffed.

"Fine, but you're going to have to take it from us by force!" shouted Scott angrily as the armored player shouted orders to the two grunts next to him.

"Kill those two scrubs!"

The two grunts moved quickly, and one of them, a young man with a bandana covering his lower face, went after Daniel.

"Your armor doesn't look too tough, tin man!" laughed the grunt as he brought his sword down, a sword art activating as he did so.

"Try again."

The Bastard Sword went straight through the bandit, dropping the bandit's HP into the red zone with a single hit. The bandit's sword slammed into the badly rusted armor, but Daniel's HP barely went down. The bandit's eyes were wide as he slowly stood up, a single hit from dying.

"But your armor looks like shit!" screamed the bandit as he charged again, this time using a different sword skill.

The next hit sent the bandit's HP down to zero. The bandit exploded into pixels, and Daniel didn't even care, but before the bandit died, Daniel realized why Scott had been so into blacksmithing.

"A good blacksmith can make pieces that are ugly, but durable at the same time." said Daniel darkly as he turned to support Scott.

He didn't need any help. Daniel watched as the bandit ran up close, and received an arrow to the chest, nearly pointblank. The HP bar went down to red in the first hit, the bandit was stunned by the bolt's impact, and a single melee hit with the crossbow was enough to kill the bandit. The two brothers turned to look at the single orange player in armor.

"So, are you going to take it by force now?" asked Scott as the player backed away, eventually turning tail and running away like a scared dog.

Other players must have been nearby because the sounds of players fleeing in several different directions was heard, and the two brothers breathed easy, heading back towards their camp near Pani. But on the entire way there, Scott and Daniel couldn't shake the red cursors above their heads. They were PKers.

…

It was barely morning when they came to arrest them. A group of players wearing white armor with a red cross in the middle of the breastplate surrounded the tent near Pani, and the brothers were dragged out of bed. They stood face to face with a girl barely older than Daniel. She was wearing a uniform similar to the other players, and she held a rapier in her hand, the other hand on her hip. She had long orange-brownish hair and her hazel eyes reflected anger and satisfaction.

"We received reports of PKers near Pani and the description matches you two. Both of you will come with us to Grandum where you will stand trial for murder."

…

**Took forever to finish this chapter. Sorry for the long wait. Asuna's here! This will surely be interesting. Anyways, thanks for reading and I will see you all later. FF**


	3. Partying Up

**I love reading fanfiction. It doesn't always get my inspiration up, but I certainly enjoy it. Anyways, some more AU stuff I remembered.**

**AU storyline: Kirito decides not to fight Kayaba until the 100****th**** floor. **

**Other top level guilds: The Knights of the Blood and The Divine Dragon Alliance are still very famous guilds, but they are rivaled by other guilds such as The Dual Sword Monarchy.**

**Amount of players: there are a lot more players in SAO. There are approximately 40,000 players.**

**Kirito and Asuna: their levels are higher. Kirito and Asuna are both in the mid 90s in terms of level**

**The Army: They aren't as useless as they were. They are the largest guild (numbers doesn't determine strength) and most of their players are level 50-70. **

**Guilds: all high level guilds have more members than before because of the higher amount of players**

**Red guilds: Laughing Coffin still exists and they are stronger than before and much more notorious. **

**I hope that covers everything I remembered. I was actually thinking about this chapter right after I finished the last one. Let's continue. **

_Daniel's POV_

"Players Fahmak and Bauer, you are being charged with murder. Do you have anything to say in your defense?"

Being tried in a game was stupid. Nobody actually died, so I didn't know what everyone was freaking out about. My brother and I were standing in the middle of a large meeting room with a long table that stretched in a half circle. Sitting at the table were several players in the Knights Templar-like armor. I could feel their hate on my body, and I glared back at them with an equal amount of hate. Sitting in the middle was a man who had introduced himself as "Heathcliff". He regarded my brother and I with neutral eyes and I swore that he was evaluating our strength.

I pulled myself away from the glares of the pathetic court and I stared straight ahead, my brother saying nothing as I started talking. I wasn't about to go down without a fight.

"Oh, yes, I have something to say." I said as I shivered in excitement. Debates had always been one of my favorite things. "Was there any proof we actually killed those players with malicious intent? Any witnesses?"

The response came immediately from one of the players sitting at the table, a middle aged man that was incredibly round, almost like a ball.

"Of course we have proof! We received several statements from hunters around the area who heard that PKers had appeared in the woods!" said Mr. Round.

That would have been solid evidence to anybody, but I saw a crack I could easily exploit. I turned to face Mr. Round and I cracked a smile, the round man shifting in his seat slightly.

"Yes, I understand a statement can be solid proof, but did any of these hunters actually _see _my brother and I kill the players? Surely there is an eyewitness?" I said smoothly as Mr. Round opened his mouth to say something but stopped, grumbling.

I looked over at my brother who was sitting next to me, his eyes closed. I felt my heart drop a little bit. My brother was obviously not going to get involved. The sound of another voice brought my attention towards the table, this time coming from a friendly looking man with a large beard. He wasn't glaring at us, but I could hear the slight suspicion in his voice as he spoke.

"There was an eyewitness, but he was taken into custody by the Divine Dragon Alliance before we could track him down." said the player as Heathcliff slowly nodded his head, opening his mouth to say his first words since he introduced himself at the beginning of the trial.

Heathcliff spoke with authority, and the entire room grew deathly quiet as he spoke. Needless to say, I didn't dare interrupt him.

"What Godfrey says is correct. There was an eyewitness, however, he was an orange player, and was taken into custody. We haven't heard a word from him since." Heathcliff turned towards me, nodding his head. "Because there is no evidence you killed those players with malicious intent, you will be set free. However, you will be watched. This court's business is finished."

As soon as Heathcliff had finished speaking all those who had been seated at the table stood up and left, some of them casting angry looks at us. I sighed with relief and turned to my brother. He opened his eyes and stretched as he stood up from his chair.

"Well, that was a close one wasn't it?" he yawned as I chuckled nervously, following him outside.

I had to admit, I had thought the council room was impressive, but the overall base of these crusaders was incredible. It appeared to be a castle made of steel on the outside, but it was certainly a luxury dwelling on the inside. Not many people were inside, and my brother headed towards the exit, telling me he was going to town to buy supplies. I gave him a nod and my brother made his way towards the exit, disappearing from my sight.

With my brother gone I decided to rest. The events so far had tired me, and I was still getting my shit together. To be honest, the chairs near the council room door seemed really comfortable so I sat in the one farthest from the doors, looking around to see the furniture. How real everything looked never stopped amazing me. The chair felt real although it was virtual, and the bookshelves near the chairs had actual books I could read in them. I looked out the large window to see the huge city of Grandum before me, stretching like an endless sea of shops and houses. I smiled as I continued to observe the city.

"Mind if we join you?"

I turned to see the girl who had led the force to arrest me standing there with another guy. He was wearing a black cloak and had two swords strapped to his back. He had black hair and dark eyes, and I observed them carefully for a split second before giving up. I couldn't read them.

"No, it's fine." I said awkwardly as the two sat down in the chairs opposite of me.

I'm not sure why, but something about the two sitting in front of me made me feel rude. Maybe it was because of the fact that they weren't wearing armor while I was fully protected, or maybe because I had just been tried for murder, although pardoned. The silence only existed for a second, but it was still awkward. Thankfully, it was the girl who spoke first.

"I just wanted to introduce myself and I also wanted to apologize for any inconvenience you experienced from our little meeting. I'm Asuna," she gestured to the boy who was sitting next to her who waved. "and this is Kirito."

I smiled and introduced myself as well. I had to admit that this was all very weird because I had not interacted with anyone socially besides my brother since the game had started several months back. It felt nice, but something was bugging me. We continued to chat about various topics, and I eventually realized that there was a motive behind talking to me. However, I had no real proof besides an odd feeling. Normally, I wouldn't hesitate to say something, but it felt different this time. Eventually I got over the feeling, and if I turned out to be wrong and greatly offended them, I could just avoid them forever.

"I don't mean to be rude, but…what's the motive behind all this? Why are you talking to me, a PKer, in the first place?" I asked, sincerely confused.

Asuna hesitated and Kirito smiled slightly, answering my question before Asuna could do it herself. I had to admit, I felt kind of bad for destroying the friendly mood, even if it was just to get my guard down.

"We were just getting to the subject of your admittance to the Knights of the Blood. Also, you said that you were a PKer. Weren't you found innocent?" Kirito asked as my eyes widened for a second.

Kid's bloody sharp, I thought as I nodded at them. My hands balled into fists as I explained the situation.

"First, I might have been found innocent, but I am still a PKer in my eyes. Second, I don't believe PK involves murder." I explained to them as Kirito gave me a respecting nod, Asuna just listening intently. I hesitated with the last part. "Lastly, joining your guild would be an honor, but give me some time to think about it…"

Kirito seemed satisfied with my answer, but Asuna was obviously not. She just seemed bothered by what I had said about murder in the real world. I felt a shiver run through me, but I brushed it off. As soon as Asuna tried to say something again I held up my hand and looked away.

"Please, don't question my opinions. Until the truth is revealed, I shall believe what I believe. If I do commit such a crime as murder, I will happily stand trial for it in the real world." I answered as Asuna stopped and looked down at the ground, Kirito giving me a strange look.

The conversation would have certainly picked up again if a window hadn't popped up in front of me. It was a PM from my brother.

_From: Bauer_

_City's amazing! Come meet me at the city square and we'll talk there. I've rented a room at The Iron Dragon, an inn not too far from the square. We'll sleep like babies tonight!_

I closed the window and looked up at the two crusaders * sitting in front of me and I smiled at them as I stood up. Surprisingly, my armor didn't clank like it would have in the real world.

"That was my brother calling me. It was great meeting you and finally having a social interaction with somebody other than an NPC or some bandits. I'll have an answer to your offer once I talk to my brother. Well, I'll be seeing you." I said as Kirito and Asuna said their farewells to me.

I made my way out of the crusader headquarters and I headed towards the city square.

…

My brother was more than excited. He literally bounced with energy as we stood in the huge city square, blacksmiths along the sides of every road. Hell, I think at least a quarter of the shops in the entire city was dedicated anything besides blacksmithing. The city's center was a circle of dull steel with rings cut into the metal like a tree's rings. There were several roads made of metal that met in the square, and I could see the hordes of blacksmiths at every street corner.

"This city's great! I say we just buy a nice house here and just live here forever! Did you know the best blacksmith in the entire game lives here? His shops just over there! Some say his weapons can take down a boss in just a few hits! Stuff's bloody expensive though." Shouted my brother rapidly as he told me everything he had seen during his tour.

I was getting a little annoyed by his talk of weapon creation. I wasn't even listening to what he was saying. Instead, I was just hearing the offer in my mind.

Join the Knights of the Blood.

Finally, my brother noticed that I hadn't said anything in a while, and looked at me, confused.

"Something wrong, Daniel?" he asked as I shook my head, snapping me out of my trance.

"Um, sort of. Let's head to that inn you told me about. Iron Dragon, was it?"

…

"Join the Knights of the Blood?! Why would they give us that offer? We're PKers!" my brother shouted as I told him about the offer Kirito and Asuna had made to me.

Turns out The Iron Dragon was quite an expensive inn, although we could afford a few nights with the money we had saved hunting and living in a tent for the entirety of our adventure to this point. I sat down in the fancy chair at a large mahogany table, and I tapped my finger on the heavy wood. My brother sat on his king sized bed, bouncing slightly as he spoke to me.

"I don't know, Scott. It doesn't make sense to me either. I told them to give me some time to think. We just need to think this through." I said quietly, trying to concentrate on the matter at hand.

My brother scoffed and hopped of the bed and equipped his crossbow, looking at it. He hadn't had a chance to fully look into it yet. He was checking the stats and abilities when he looked up to give me his opinion on joining the famous frontline guild.

"Well, I think it's dumb. I say no." he said bluntly as he went back to fiddling with the ranged weapon.

I was about to say something back when a PM window appeared. The message was from Asuna.

_From: Asuna_

_Kirito and I just received a mission from Heathcliff. Have you ever heard of a guild called "The Dual Sword Monarchy?"_

I frowned as I read the message. What would they want with The Dual Sword Monarchy? I decided to message back, but without specific details.

_To: Asuna_

_Yes, I know of them. A huge guild that has its base on the first floor, right? I hear they work as a monarchy, rather than a guild. What about them?_

The reply was instant. I raised an eyebrow and chuckled. They must really be excited.

_From: Asuna_

_Well, Heathcliff wants them on the frontlines. They'd be a great help. Problem is, we have to be diplomatic about it. We can't just march into their castle and demand to see their leader or rather, their king. Obviously, neither Kirito nor I are smooth talkers. We were wondering if you and your brother would come along and help. We'll make it worth your while, we promise._

Along with the message came a party request. I looked up at my brother who hadn't paid attention throughout the whole thing. I explained the situation to him, snapping his attention towards the party request. He frowned when he saw it.

"You trust these people enough to party up with them?" he asked as I sighed, scratching my head.

"At this point, if we go and get stuck in a trap and can't fight our way out, we deserve to die." I laughed as my brother snickered.

I pressed [Y] and it was official. We were partying up with crusaders.

…

**That was a ton of fun to write. Anyways, some more stuff below!**

**PMs can be sent to anybody as long as you know the username**

**References:*Daniel and Scott call the Knights of the Blood members "crusaders" because of their white and red uniforms, making them look like Knights Templar, a group of knights during the crusades. **

**I'm excited to write the next chapter! Happy election day I guess? FF**


	4. Diplomats

**Well, here's the next chapter! I have quite a few things going on this weekend along with an audition for the concert band season on Monday, but I'm writing fanfiction in order to release stress. Nothing good ever came from stress. Anyways, I have some more AU stuff to put in. I know a ton of stuff is being added, but that's the fun of AU stories. You can add in your own ideas and perhaps make the experience better. **

**Weapon traits: Axes have bonus damage against weapons made of wood or with weapons with wooden shafts (unarmored halberds, etc). Halberds and other pole arms have the ability to sweep enemies of their feet**

**Combat: should a body part be severed (yes, this has happened before in the canon) then the HP will go down as normal, but the limb will vanish for the duration of the battle and all weapons or items held by the several limb will be unusable unless picked up. The head can't be severed**

**I think that's all I have for now. Anyways, let the story begin!**

…

My brother and I slept soundly throughout the night, and morning came much too soon. While we did not feel fatigue within the game, I was slightly annoyed by the fact that I was leaving my bed. The morning sun was barely peeking through the drawn curtains of our hotel room, and I blinked my eyes, slowly rising from the bed. I sighed as I looked around the room. I had to admit, living in a hotel room instead of a tent had its advantages.

My brother was already awake, examining his menu, looking through things. He looked interested in whatever he was looking at. The room wasn't very messed up so I decided to go straight to the bathroom. My brother didn't even look up from whatever he was doing as I passed him. I pushed the bathroom door open and I stared at myself in the mirror. Sure enough, I hadn't changed. However, I noticed that I seemed to have a surprised expression on my face, like I had just realized something very important. I was wearing my casual sleepwear of a white t-shirt and comfortable black shorts, but that changed in an instant when I put on my armor with the swipe of a finger, the surprised expression replaced by a rusted, yet durable steel helmet.

I checked my equipment and made sure my weapons and pieces of armor were in reasonable shape before leaving the bathroom. This time my brother looked up. He smirked at me before standing up, his crossbow in hand.

"Take the helmet off. It doesn't suit you." smirked my brother as I put the helmet back in my inventory, frowning at him.

"What do you mean it doesn't suit me?" I asked, wanting to know his reasoning.

My brother waved me off but continued talking as he showed me the crossbow, opening up his menu to show me whatever he had been looking at. My eyebrows rose at the sight of a skill that I had sworn wasn't there on the first day we had been trapped in the death game.

[Unique Skill: Archer]

[Player can wield ranged weapons]

My brother closed the menu and scratched his head as he looked at me. He must have seen my surprised face because he smiled a bit.

"I'm not sure how I got that skill in the first place. Come on, you said that we were partying up with the crusaders today, right?"

…

We left the hotel, and we decided not to return in order to save some money for supplies. It was still relatively early, but there were a lot of people out. My brother never took his eyes off of the weapons the blacksmiths had for sale, and he talked to me as we walked to meet Kirito and Asuna.

"You trust them enough to party up with them?" he asked, doubt in his voice.

I frowned and decided to think about the situation again. My brother was right to question my judgment. We passed several more shops and we turned a corner, the entrance into the city's square at the end of the street. I noticed that the streets were noticeably busier around the square, hordes of people hanging around the blacksmith's shops.

"I don't know for sure, Scott. From what I've seen they're not bad people, but I understand your concern. We barely know them and their guild is offering us membership even though we are PKers. I really don't know." I sighed as we continued walking, almost at the end of the street.

My brother scoffed as we continued walking. It was good that our red status had disappeared before we left for the city. With so many people hanging around the consequences would have been extreme.

"So, you're saying that we throw all caution to the wind and go on this little quest?" he asked as I shook my head, taking my first step into the square.

"That's not at all what I'm saying. We'll still be careful around anybody we meet. Hopefully, it won't be a trap. I can't see any gain in killing us anyways." I said as my eyes swept the huge open area we had just stepped into.

My eyes locked onto Kirito and Asuna right away. They were talking to each other and from where I stood it appeared that they were debating about something. My brother mumbled something and we walked over to them, my heart thudding with every step closer. When Kirito noticed us I almost froze in my tracks. What if my brother was right? What if it really was a trap? I kept on walking despite my fears. The crusader dressed in black gave me a friendly wave and I smiled back at him. My brother said hello to Kirito and waved to Asuna as we all met.

Whatever they had been arguing about, it seemed to have been put on hold. Kirito brought out a map from his inventory and he showed it us, pointing towards a structure that was labeled "Watcher's Keep". It was on the first floor, and I noticed that it wasn't too far away from Black Iron Castle, the headquarters for The Army.

"Watcher's Keep is where the Dual Sword Monarchy has their base. It's not too far from Starting City, so we should be able to make it in a single day." explained the black swordsman as my brother nodded, looking up from the map at Kirito.

"That single day journey is only if you have teleport crystals. My brother and I can't afford such items." explained my brother as Asuna smiled, tossing a large blue crystal towards my brother.

Scott caught it and his mouth hung open at the sight of it. I looked surprised as well and I gave a questioning look at Asuna. The two crusaders smiled at our surprise.

"The crystal's on us. Think of it as...a gift." said Kirito warmly as my brother held it up in the air, looking at it in the early morning light.

"Bloody hell, this must have cost a fortune…" breathed my brother as he looked at Asuna.

"It was expensive, but money's not important compared to clearing this game." said Asuna firmly as my brother thanked her for her generosity.

My brother looked at the crystal for a few more seconds, and then grinned as he lifted it into the air. Kirito did the same, and I watched in awe as the two crusaders disappeared in a flash with just a few spoken words.

"Teleport: Starting City!"

…

We arrived in Starting City seconds later, and I was struck by how silent it was. I remember when I first logged into the game the city was filled with people. Now, it was a ghost town, only NPCs occupying the shops along the side of the road. It was kind of sad.

"Empty, isn't it?"

I turned to see Kirito and Asuna standing there. I nodded my head slowly and my brother took a look around as well. The crusaders looked around the city and they sighed as well.

"I'd rather not dwell on the emptiness of this city. Come on, let's head for Watcher's Keep." said Asuna as my brother followed the crusaders towards the city's exit.

I stayed for a few seconds. I continued looking down the empty street and I felt the same chilling feeling I had felt when we had been first locked into this death game. And with that lovely feeling I turned to catch up with my brother and the others.

Leaving the city was easy, and we were soon walking through the countryside. I noted that the landscape hadn't changed at all. The breeze felt great, and several boars could be seen grazing on the grassy plains. We chatted on the way to Watcher's Keep, and soon enough trees surrounded us. Throughout the entire walk I kept thinking about how empty Starting City, knowing that cities on Floor 2 had at least a few inhabitants walking the streets at all times. I must have been muttering to myself because Asuna heard me.

"What was that?"

Her voice plucked me from my thoughts and I looked up, confused. I realized that I had been talking to myself and I quickly apologized. She accepted my apology and laughed. From the corner of my eye I saw my brother quietly talking with Kirito about something.

"Oh, sorry, I have a habit of talking to myself. I was just saying that Starting City being abandoned made sense." I explained to Asuna as she nodded her head.

"That is true. Many players follow behind the clearers and often move after we clear the floors ahead. Don't feel too sad about Starting City appearing to be empty. People still live there, but we caught them at a bad time, and The Army seldom patrols Starting City." explained Asuna, nodding when I remembered a question I had to ask her.

"That reminds me, I actually have a question to ask you." I said as Asuna nodded her head. I checked to see if Kirito was paying attention, but my brother was laughing with him. "Kirito doesn't seem to be the type to party up with just anybody. How'd he end up joining the Knights of the Blood?"

Asuna looked away and I immediately regretted asking her. I cursed myself as the realization hit. Asuna and Kirito were married, and perhaps in a relationship with Kirito in the real world. Suddenly, I felt really awkward asking questions that could be seen as personal.

"Er, I mean if you it's something you don't want to talk about…" I said nervously, trying to back off.

"No, it's alright. I was just thinking about it." said Asuna as we continued walking through the forest. "It was a while ago, but there was a time when I wanted to leave The Knights of the Blood to spend more time with Kirito. Naturally, Heathcliff wouldn't let me leave. So, being the rash fighter I love, he duels Heathcliff. If Kirito won the duel, I could leave the guild. If he lost, Kirito becomes a member. Needless to say, he lost…"

Asuna seemed sad, but there was something else in her voice. I nodded slowly as I walked alongside her, trying to envision a duel between Kirito and Heathcliff where the outcome was Kirito's defeat. I looked over at Kirito who was still chatting with my brother. I overheard something about "unique skills" and other things related to weapon stats and such.

Hard to imagine that Kirito lost, I thought as I glanced at the famous black swordsman. If Kirito lost to Heathcliff, just how strong was the leader of the Knights of the Blood? I continued talking to Asuna, but the thought of Kirito's defeat still lingered in my head. Kirito had pulled out his map, and he told us that we were getting close to Watcher's Keep when suddenly I felt something hit me.

My HP barely went down, being fully clad in armor, but I noticed something next to my HP. It was a little lightning bolt symbol. Paralysis. Within a second, I was down on the ground, my brother falling next. I tried to move my hands, but I couldn't. For a second, my heart beat wildly as I looked around. It had been a trap! I let out a growl of frustration as I expected Kirito and Asuna to stab us in the back, but it never happened. Instead, the two crusaders fell just after my brother, paralyzed just like us. My breathing slowed for a second, but got faster when I heard the voices.

"We got 'em!"

I was lying on the dirt road, my face looking at the dense forest. From the corner of my eye I could see my brother struggling to get up, and Kirito's hand. However, I could see the red players come from the woods, holding axes and cleavers. There were two of them, red icons floating above their heads, both dressed in ragged cloaks. The two assassins stopped right in front of us, and I could see the tattoo of a coffin with a smiling face on their hands.

"This is perfect!" one of them sneered, twisting his wicked looking axe while eyeing Asuna. "We got some clearers here!"

The other laughed, kicking Kirito, the crusader's HP not even affected by the melee attack. The other held a cleaver with a sharp blade, and he sank it into Kirito's back, the black swordsman's HP dropping, but regenerating within seconds. I smiled to myself. Health Regeneration. However, the smile disappeared when the assassin wielding the axe smashed it down into my brother's head, dropping his HP by a noticeable amount. That's when I started panicking, and I noticed their levels, 81 and 82, just barely ahead of me.

"You fucking cowards! Get this paralysis off and face me!" I shouted, desperately trying to get over the influence of the paralysis that weighed me down as I tried to stand up.

My shouts of anger were met with laughter as the two assassins stood around my brother, raising their weapons above their heads.

"Well, looks like this one is the first to go! Ahahaha!" shouted the assassins before sending the weapons downwards.

"Kill the bastards!"

It happened very quickly. I remember Asuna and Kirito shouting something, but I couldn't hear them. One assassin was pierced by a thrown spear, his HP going down to nothing in a flash, the PKer disappearing into a mass of blue pixels, and the other tried to fight against two players wearing sand colored armor before being swept by a halberd and then finished off with an axe to the head, just like what he did to my brother. I watched the entire thing with excitement, and as the assassins exploded into pixels, my status returned to normal, and I slowly stood up. I rushed to my brother who shook his head as he got up off the ground, and Kirito was right behind me.

"Scott! Scott! You alright?" I asked desperately as my brother shook his head, standing up.

He looked a bit shaken, his skin pale, and his teeth clenched tightly. His HP was slowly recovering, and I looked at the soldiers who had saved our lives. There were a lot of them, around twelve, all well armored, but with varied levels. I swore I saw somebody in the high 90s, and somebody in the 20s. They were talking to Asuna, and after what appeared to be an argument, they nodded their heads. Asuna returned to our group, and asked about Scott's condition. I told her he was alright and that it was nothing a healing crystal wouldn't take care of.

"Alright, the soldiers didn't allow me to meet the king, but I talked them about it. We've been granted an audience with the king of the Dual Sword Monarchy." said Asuna happily as my brother grinned.

"What was that about not being good with words?" I teased as Kirito chuckled and Asuna rolled her eyes.

We were officially diplomats.

…

Watcher's Keep was a castle within a castle*. We were escorted by the soldiers, and Kirito and Asuna looked up at the castle with amazement as we approached it. On the outside it appeared to be a simple castle on a small hill, but upon entering, it was like coming into a small city. Groups of soldiers patrolled the streets made of cobblestone, and merchants had shops along the roads, several blacksmiths among them. Kirito looked the most impressed by the architecture.

"A castle within a castle? This was definitely not in the beta-test." he said, admiring the huge castle.

The streets of the castle eventually led to a large semi-circle made of cobblestone with iron gates signaling the beginning of the castle. The soldiers escorting us shouted something, and the gates creaked open, letting us into the castle. The castle itself was just as impressive as the city. Groups of soldiers hung around the castle's courtyard, and the doors to the castle were opened, leading directly to the throne room where a man with blonde hair sat in a golden throne, a crown made of ruby sitting on his head. We were silent as the soldiers knelt before the man sitting in the large throne.

"Visitors, my king!" said the soldier in the very front of the group.

The king's eyes fell upon us, and Asuna stepped forward, the king raising his hand and rising from the throne. The king was a young man a bit older than Asuna, perhaps nineteen, wearing a highly decorated, sand colored breastplate, along with matching pieces of armor that went down to his feet. He had a sand colored cape, and held a spiked mace in his hand as he greeted us.

"Hello, visitors! I see that you have been escorted by my loyal soldiers. Brave soldiers, you are dismissed. Return to the barracks for rest." said the king smoothly as the soldiers stood, and walked out of the throne room.

Once the soldiers had gone, the king sat back down, and I noticed that he had an orange icon above his head. In fact, many of the soldiers we had passed on the way to the throne room had orange icons. The king smiled at us as the throne room doors closed with a solid thud.

"Ah, Asuna 'The Flash', and Kirito the Black Swordsman from the famous Knights of the Blood Oath! Now, if I may ask, what brings you to Watcher's Keep?" asked the king, raising an eyebrow at us.

Asuna was going to say something when I stepped forward. For some reason I felt excited as I spoke to the king. My brother nodded his head silently, and Kirito seemed interested in what I would say.

"We have a proposition," I noticed his in game name underneath his orange icon. "Ruben."

The king nodded his head as he stood up and descended the steps to stand in front of me. He had a friendly looking face and he smiled at me, a genuine smile.

"And welcome, Fahmak, Knight of Rust. Just what kind of proposition do you have for me?" Ruben asked as Asuna whispered to me.

"I think I should talk to him…" she whispered as I shook my head.

"You brought me on this mission because of my supposed skills of diplomacy? Give me a chance to prove that the skills exist now. Go and enjoy yourselves! I'll handle it from here." I whispered as Kirito led Asuna away, my brother glancing back at me.

Strength is what I need right now, I thought as I told Ruben about the proposition.

"Heathcliff, leader of the Knights of the Blood requests that you begin sending players to the front lines in an effort to clear the game faster." I said evenly, Ruben frowning as he heard the proposition.

The king seemed frustrated, and he turned from me to pace from side to side. He still held the weapon in his hand and he eventually stopped and looked at me, his blue eyes looking into mine. He seemed annoyed by the proposition.

"And are you a member of the guild?" I shook my head. "Then why is Heathcliff sending nonmembers to do their dirty work? Tell me, what do I gain from sending people to the front lines?"

I took a deep breath and I answered his question. Ruben's objection to the proposition made sense, but I wasn't going to say that. I kept pushing.

"I am not a member now, but I have been invited to join the guild. By sending members to the front lines your guild will gain more fame, and more recruits, along with the faster end of this death game." I answered, trying to see any negative emotion on Ruben's face.

I expected a negative reaction, but instead I got weariness. King Ruben sighed, and he looked at me with tired eyes. Hope rose within me. I was wearing him down.

"To be honest, I really, really want this game to end. However, The Army prevents me from sending players to the front lines. In the heat of battle, who knows what will happen? I wish to clear this game, but The Army makes the risk of death very great." explained Ruben as he sighed, looking at his mace with a grim face .

"If you really want to clear the game, why do you let guild rivalries get in your way? Why not send players, ignore The Army's childish rivalry and work to clear the game? We all take the same risks on the front lines, and the risks wouldn't be any higher, and it would probably be greater here, were The Army could attack, and nobody would provide support." I saw Ruben nod his head a bit, and I felt victory getting closer. "So, will you join us?"

"I will join you on one condition." said Ruben smiling.

"And what is that condition?"

"You must destroy The Army."

…

**That was pretty fun to write. It's also pretty long. I didn't expect it to be this lengthy, but the longer the better I suppose. More AU stuff!**

**Architecture is a skill now, and if you have a skilled architect in your party you can build buildings just about anywhere. **

**References:* castle within a castle refers to a citadel type of city. It has a huge wall surrounding the entire city, and then a large castle within with its own separate walls and defenses**

**Thanks for reading and I will see you later! FF**


	5. One Condition

**Well, I watched the new SAO and I have to say, it was pretty amazing. Despite the fact that Kirito's spells are incredibly OP, it was a great episode because of the things that were revealed about Alfheim Online. Personally, I'm starting to enjoy the Alfheim Arc more than the SAO Arc. **

**Some more AU stuff: 1. Duels are only for 1v1**

**2. Wars can be declared between guilds**

**3. Within guilds there can be several factions fighting for power (The Army).**

**There's not much to say. Let's begin. **

**...**

**Kirito's POV**

"What are you thinking about?"

Asuna's voice brought me out of my thinking and I looked up, smiling at her. We had recently left the throne room and we were sitting in a small grassy patch of land not too far outside of the castle. I was leaning against the stone walls of the castle, and Asuna sat on a large rock next to a blacksmith's shop. I glanced out of the corner of my eye to see the castle's gate open, a group of soldiers coming out. I watched them as long as I could see them and I sighed. Asuna was getting annoyed with my silence and I found it best to answer her questions.

"Remember those assassins who attacked us?" I asked, Asuna nodding her head silently. My left hand curled into a fist. "I was just thinking about those guys. Who ordered the hit? Just who wants us dead?"

"Do we even know what guild they're from?" Asuna asked as I nodded my head, remembering the insignia on one of the assassins.

It was a guild we had encountered before. We had met them a long time ago while investigating a series of deaths within a city, something that seemed impossible. In the end, we found out it was an elaborate plan to reveal a killer, and before we knew it, the killer called upon three assassins with the exact same insignia as those who had attacked us on the way to Watcher's Keep: Laughing Coffin, the most notorious red guild in the game. I told Asuna about the insignia and she scowled. I shrugged my shoulders. I didn't know anything for sure, but I still had suspicions.

"Well, it could have just been a random PK attack…" I said casually, trying to direct the conversation away from murder, assassins, and the like.

"No, it was planned. I'm sure of it." said Asuna, her gaze angry.

I tried to slide to my left, farther away from my in-game wife. Asuna was usually friendly, but she could be extremely unforgiving towards enemies. She pulled up a map of the first floor and showed it to me. Our icons glowed with Watcher's Keep, and she pointed towards the forest where we had been attacked.

"Nobody just hangs out around a forest on the first floor attacking high level clearers, members of the Knights of the Blood, no less." She closed the map, glaring. "They knew what they were doing. We're easy to recognize, and yet, they still attacked us. They would have succeeded in their assassination if the soldiers hadn't helped us."

I nodded my head, thinking things through. Asuna was right about the assassins. It would make sense if we had been attacked on some of the higher floors, but we were on the first floor, a place almost deserted besides members of The Army, and the Dual Sword Monarchy. But the question remained: who ordered the attack? It was obvious that Asuna was thinking the same thing, but the arrival of a PM concluded our discussion.

Asuna opened the message, and read it quickly, standing up after closing the window. I stood up as well, stretching as I did so. Pushing the thoughts about who was behind the assassination attempt on them down, I asked Asuna what the message had been about.

"He says the mission was a success, but there're a lot of things to discuss. Come on, he said he's waiting for us outside of the city." Asuna said as I nodded my head, curious to see how the Daniel managed to convince King Ruben to send troops to the front lines.

I followed Asuna, and I had no idea what was about to happen.

…

"He wants a full out war with The Army." Daniel said bluntly as Asuna gave him an incredulous look.

"Are you kidding me?! A war with The Army, that's impossible!" she shouted as Daniel held out his hands in surrender.

We were standing outside of the city, and Daniel had told us about Ruben's condition. I was distracted throughout the entire thing, glancing at the peaceful landscape of the first floor, and also by the armor Scott was now wearing. It looked brand new, black in color with a strange looking cross* in white across his chest. On his back was a thick rectangular shield made of wood reinforced with steel bolts protecting his entire back along with the backs of his upper legs. I noticed that he had a sword at his side, although he held his crossbow, a quiver full of bolts at his side. He nodded as Daniel explained everything to Asuna, and finally, Daniel managed to get Asuna to calm down.

"Will you just let me finish?" asked Daniel, trying to keep things down.

Asuna took a deep breath and took a step back, Daniel thanking her for letting him finish. I watched the whole thing, kind of stuck in my own hole of thought.

"He isn't saying we should fight them alone, and we're not fighting the entire army either. He will still provide his own troops, and we're fighting a faction within the army known as The Black Wolves. Their leader is a guy named Kibaou. He leads a majority of The Army's players, and let me tell you, it isn't pretty." explained Daniel grimly, his brother scoffing.

Scott decided to take part in the discussion, and I noticed that he seemed to be excited. He moved with vigor I hadn't seen before in him, and he had a very sarcastic smile on his face.

"And by saying grim, my brother means we have to face off against eight thousand players. They outnumber us twenty to one, and their average level is in the 60s." he nodded towards Asuna and me. "But, we can easily get a lot of people behind our cause. Kibaou doesn't care what his men do as long as they remain loyal to him. The Black Wolves attack random people in the woods on the floors above us. We're on the wrong floor. The enemy lies above us."

I thought about what Scott had just said, and I smiled, working everything out. It was interesting to learn that Kibaou had become a leader of a massive guild. I remembered my encounter with him, but I never thought he would grow so strong. Asuna nodded her head and pulled up a PM window, and she quickly sent message to Heathcliff. I watched her type out the message, and I watched as Heathcliff messaged back, Asuna closing the window.

"The commander's on his way."

…

Heathcliff brought most of the guild with him. I watched quietly from Asuna's side as the members of the Knights of the Blood marched into Watcher's Keep, the legendary commander clad in red and white armor. He smiled as he nodded at Asuna, and I felt a cold prickle as his warm eyes locked onto mine. Heathcliff didn't have to go far as King Ruben had come out of the castle to meet him. The two leaders greeted each other and they spoke for a few seconds. After the two leaders had chatted, they headed into the castle and the commander made a motion for us to follow. I followed, but I the thoughts of the troubles that might be coming my way disturbed me.

…

"We have located The Black Wolves on Floor 12, and we shall be striking them there. I shall lead my forces to the front to challenge them, and you shall bring your forces to cut them off at the rear."

The strategy meeting took place in a room within the castle, and I found myself dragged into the plan making. Asuna nodded her head as she looked over the plans, and I was impressed with how simple but effective the plan seemed.

"Asuna, we are splitting our forces in half. You shall lead the second group, and I will lead the first. Kirito, you, Fahmak, and Bauer will act as shock troops during this battle. Your mission will be to strike fast and strike hard into the enemy's ranks as chaos breaks out. Remember that these players are criminals, and have to pay for their crimes by death or imprisonment." said Heathcliff finally as the two leaders brought up screens, formally declaring war on The Black Wolves.

Asuna cast a glance at me worriedly when she saw my brooding face. I did not feel good about this at all.

"What's wrong, Kirito?" she asked.

"I don't have a good feeling about this at all…" I said, grunting as war was declared.

Something was wrong, very wrong.

…

A group of players snickered as they stood around a player in the shiny armor of the Divine Dragon Alliance. The player was obviously a high level clearer, but the player's face was fearful, his eyes wide as he looked around at the group of players clad in black armor with red bandanas tied around their arms.

"You think you're so much better than us because you're a clearer? I'll teach you a lesson!" shouted one of the players as he stabbed a sword straight into the clearer's arm, the clearer's health going down as the attack hit.

The clearer let out screams of terror as the assault began, the players in black armor pummeling the clearer with blows from all sides. Finally, the player's health was within the red zone and he began begging for mercy, which was met with a sickening laugh from behind the group of players. The group parted as a player wearing the same armor as the others stood in front of the clearer, a red sash with the symbol of a black wolf in the middle tied around his waist. He had spikey orange hair, and a screen was open before him, indicating that a war had been cleared on his guild. He looked around the area and smiled.

"Well, it looks like we're going to war, boys!" laughed the man as the others cheered around him.

The man looked down at the player who was almost at death, his health regenerating quickly, but not fast enough. The man was a blur as he drew his sword and slammed it straight through the clearer's throat, the player's health going to zero. He exploded into a cloud of blue pixels, and the man grinned.

"I have just the surprise for them…"

…

**Meh, this chapter wasn't as long or as good as the other ones. I was distracted because of other things. Anyways, I think I'll go start my ALO story soon, so I will see you all later! FF**


End file.
